No consensus in Israeli election
Israeli premier looking short of majority in early results
Challenger Benny Gantz (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greet supporters at their campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv after exit polls in Tuesday’s parliamentary elections showed Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party with a slight lead over Netanyahu’s Likud party. Neither appeared likely to secure a majority, but the trend put Netanyahu’s political future in doubt.
JERUSALEM — In an apparent setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the longtime Israeli leader on Tuesday fell short of securing a parliamentary majority with his hard-line allies in national elections, according to early results posted by Israel’s three major TV stations, putting his political future in question.
The TV stations cited initial exit polls indicating that challenger Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party held a slight lead over Netanyahu’s Likud party. However, neither party was forecast to control a majority in the 120-seat parliament without the support of Avigdor Lieberman, a Netanyahu rival who heads the midsize Yisrael Beitenu party.
Lieberman said there was only “one option” for the country: a secular unity government between him and the two largest parties.
Addressing his supporters early today, Netanyahu refused to concede defeat and vowed to work to form a new government that excludes Arab parties. His campaign focused heavily on questioning the loyalty of the country’s Arab minority — a strategy that drew accusations of racism and incitement from Arab leaders.
“In the coming days we will convene negotiations to assemble a strong Zionist government and to prevent a dangerous anti-Zionist government,” he said. He claimed that Arab parties “negate the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state” and “glorify bloodthirsty murderers.”
Israeli exit polls are often imprecise and the final results, expected today, could shift in Netanyahu’s favor. But all three stations all forecast similar scenarios.
The apparent deadlock sets the stage for an extended period of uncertainty and complicated political maneuvering, but with Netanyahu in a relatively weaker bargaining position. The parties could be forced into a broad unity government that could push Netanyahu out.
Gantz, a former military chief of staff, has ruled out sitting with a Netanyahu-led Likud at a time when Netanyahu is expected to be indicted on corruption charges in the coming weeks. Further complicating things, Lieberman refuses to sit in any coalition that includes religious parties that traditionally support Netanyahu.
Early today, Gantz told a cheering rally of supporters that while it was too soon to declare victory, he had begun speaking to potential partners and hoped to form a unity government.
Attention will now focus on Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, who is to choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a stable coalition. Rivlin is to consult with all parties in the coming days before making his decision.
Officials from both Blue and White and Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu said they would seek a broad unity government. Netanyahu, the longest serving leader in Israeli history, had sought to secure an outright majority with his allies to secure immunity from the expected indictment.
The election marks their second showdown of the year after they drew even in April.
At the time, Netanyahu appeared to have won another term, with his traditional allies of nationalist and ultra-religious Jewish parties controlling a parliamentary majority.
But Lieberman, his mercurial ally-turned-rival, refused to join the new coalition, citing excessive influence it granted the ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. Without a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu dissolved parliament and called a new election.
The early numbers positioned Lieberman once again in the role of kingmaker. Lieberman has promised to avoid a third election.
Israel’s attorney general has recommended pressing criminal charges against Netanyahu in three separate corruption cases, pending a long-delayed pre-trial hearing scheduled next month.
Without immunity, Netanyahu would be under heavy pressure to step aside.
Israel’s election commission says 69.4% of all eligible voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s elections, a slightly larger number than took part in April’s vote. The commission said 4,440,141 votes were cast in Tuesday’s elections. Turnout in April’s elections was 68.5%.